1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system, an apparatus, and a method for information processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, known has been a device (which will be hereinafter sometimes referred to as “smart tap”) that is connected between an apparatus (for example, an information processing apparatus such as an MFP) and an outlet (power source) and measures a power consumption at the outlet to measure a power consumption of the apparatus. Also, known has been a method in which, in using a plurality of smart taps to which a plurality of apparatuses are connected, a base unit of the smart taps collects respective power consumptions measured by the smart taps and transmits a result of the collection to a personal computer for power management to cause a display of the result. For example, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-200046 has been known as one example of a power management for an information processing apparatus such as an MFP.
Here, when an apparatus itself is enabled to display information indicating a power consumption of each apparatus instead of causing another device (a PC, for example) different from the apparatus to display the information indicating a power consumption of each apparatus, it is useful by saving a work for preparing and setting up the PC for power management. While each apparatus is to obtain information indicating a power consumption measured by each smart tap (power consumption information) through a communication with the base unit of the smart taps in this case, there arises a problem that an apparatus is not able to communicate with the base unit of the smart taps when the apparatus shifts to a sleep state, for example, and thereby not able to obtain power consumption information in a period during which the sleep state continues.
Though it is possible, by making such a setting as not to cause the apparatus to shift to the sleep state, to prevent an omission in obtaining power consumption information, it is not possible with this setting to reduce the power consumption sufficiently. In the first place, a visualization of a power consumption volume and a presentation thereof to a user are intended for encouraging the user to behave for energy saving to reduce the power consumption, and therefore the setting of not causing the apparatus to shift to the sleep state goes against the original intension of reducing the power consumption volume.
Therefore, there is a need for a system, an apparatus, and a method for information processing which enable an apparatus as a target for power consumption measurement to obtain power consumption information without omission while reducing one's own power consumption.